Circuit and method for driving an LCD panel capable of reducing water-like waveform noise

The present application claims priority from Taiwan Application serial No. 095130055 filed on Aug. 16, 2006, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a technique in the field of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and more particularly to a circuit and a method for driving LCDs.

2. Description of Related Art

In recent years, LCD televisions have been regarded as a future star of consuming electronic products. However, when R&D personnel are doing designs on the driving circuits of the panels of LCD televisions, they are inclined to proceed with the designs by relying on their experiences on the driving circuits of LCD panels, and this results in problems.

Regarding illustrations of the driving circuits of the conventional LCD televisions, <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic view showing a panel module for a conventional LCD television, and <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> shows a sub-pixel of a conventional display panel.

As shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, the panel module includes a control board <b>11</b>, a front source board <b>121</b>, a rear source board <b>122</b>, a gate board <b>13</b>, and a display panel <b>14</b>. The control board <b>11</b> includes a timing controller <b>111</b> (TCON). A plurality of source driving units <b>151</b>, <b>152</b> are disposed between the display panel <b>14</b> and the front source board <b>121</b>, and between the display panel <b>14</b> and the rear source board <b>122</b>. Each of the source driving units <b>151</b>, <b>152</b> has a source driving IC (or so-called “data IC”, not shown). Further, a plurality of gate driving units <b>161</b>, <b>162</b> are disposed between the display panel <b>14</b> and the gate board <b>13</b>. Each of the gate driving units <b>161</b>, <b>162</b> has a gate driving IC (or so-called “scan IC”, not shown).

The timing controller <b>111</b> on the control board <b>11</b> is employed for outputting controlling signals to the source driving ICs and the gate driving ICs so as to enable, row by row and in sequence, the thin-film transistors (TFTs) of the display panel <b>14</b>, and to charge and discharge the liquid crystal capacitances to each required gray level. For example, as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, when the Y gate line is selected, the TFTs <b>21</b>, <b>22</b> electrically connected to the Y gate line will be turned on, and thereafter the 1^stto the N source driving ICs will output whole displayed data at one time (as a rule, an amplitude of an analogue voltage is revealed to show the amount of data) to the liquid crystal capacitances (Clc) <b>231</b>, <b>232</b>. By the storage capacitances (Cs) <b>241</b>,<b>242</b>, the accuracy for all the data can be maintained until this gate line is selected again. When the Y+1 gate line is selected, the action mentioned above will be repeated, so that, by doing the actions in sequence, the actions to display a frame will be completed.

An example is made by a display panel complying with the wide extended graphics array+(WXGA+) and with 1366×768 resolution. Under the system signal specification defined by the National Television System(s) Committee (NTSC), <b>768</b> gate lines are required to transmit, in sequence, actuating signals during a frame time (about 16.67 ms) to turn on TFTs. In other words, every gate line can only have a share of 21.7 us (46.08 KHz). The effect of this is that during such a short period, there are a total number of 1366×3 TFTs needed to finish the actions of Turning On/Turning Off the gate, and further, the displayed data need to be written into the crystal capacitances of the source-drain. Besides, the above-mentioned short period does not include the blanking period outside the displaying area and the signal delay on the transmission lines.

It is understood that every gate line undergoes being enabled and disabled, in a very short period and with very rapid frequency. At the moment the gate line is enabled or disabled, the changing of the voltage is the most significant (about 30 to 40 volts), and then through a parasitic capacitance, Cgd, the voltage of display electrodes is affected.

The existence of the above-mentioned Cgd is similar to a common CMOS circuit wherein a parasitic capacitance is produced between the gate and the drain of a MOS. Because the gate on a display panel is connected to the outputting line of a source driving IC, in case the voltage on the source driving IC outputting line changes significantly, the voltage of the display electrodes is affected.

For example, when the gate line of a frame is enabled, an upward feed-through voltage will be produced to the displaying electrodes. However, for the sake of the enabling of the gate line at this time, the source driving IC will start to charge the display electrodes. As such, even though the voltage is not correct in the beginning due to the influence of the feed-through voltage, the source driving IC can charge the display electrodes to the correct voltage. The influence is not so large.

However, in the case where the gate line is enabled, since the source driving IC will no longer charge the display electrodes, the voltage droop (30-40 volts) produced by the disabling of the gate driving IC will feed through the displaying electrodes via the parasitic capacitance Cgd, resulting in a feed-through voltage drop on the displaying electrodes so as to affect the accuracy of the displayed grey level, and making a viewer senses the grey level discontinuity of a frame. Accordingly, in designing a driving circuit, special attention is required with respect to timing control and signal errors.

Currently, the primary issue encountered on designing display panels is the water waveform noise. When assembling an inverter of the system side to a display panel, the display frame will appear a horizontal water waveform noise. This is because in the inverter the lamp operation frequency and the horizontal synchronize (Hsync) frequency fail to synchronize with each other, and moreover, they interfere with each other, making the shared transient time for each gate line inconsistent with each other and causing a minor variation on the brightness of visual grey level.

Currently, solutions for the above-mentioned issue are: <ul><li id="ul0001-0001" num="0016">1. Making the lamp operation frequency of the inverter as far away from the Hsync frequency as possible; and</li><li id="ul0001-0002" num="0017">2. Forcing the lamp operation frequency of the inverter to synchronize with the Hsync frequency so as to prevent interference from each other.</li></ul>

Regarding the first solution, since the two frequencies are away from each other in a limited range and besides, the Hsync frequency can be switched at the system terminal of a television, there still occurs a little water-like waveform noise. In other words, to maintain stability of the electric current of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), nowadays for most inverters the concept of constant current is adopted in designing a post-stage outputting circuit. Therefore, the range of the lamp operation frequency is limited by such parameters as, for example, feedback compensation value. Further, the signal standards can be switched from NTSC to Phase Alteration Line (PAL) or vice versa, so that the Hsync frequency can be varied and that the possible interference with the lamp operation frequency of the inverter is increased.

As to the second solution, using a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) is necessary so as to force the lamp operation frequency of the inverter to synchronize with the Hsync frequency. Nevertheless, such a solution not only raises the cost, but also causes a problem that there is a potential for the count of the timing clock will not be an integer during several frames.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a circuit and a method for reducing water-like waveform noise in an LCD panel, so as to effectively reduce the interference between an inverter frequency and a Hsync frequency, and to soften the problem of water-like waveform noise in an LCD panel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit and a method for reducing water-like waveform noise in an LCD panel, so that by varying the inverter frequency of the LCD panel, an inverter frequency of the LCD panel can become a non-constant value.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a circuit for reducing water-like waveform noise in an LCD panel, where the circuit comprises an image inverter, a timing controller, and an inverter controlling IC. The image inverter is used to provide a plurality of low-voltage differential signals. The timing controller is electrically connected with the image inverter and receives the low-voltage differential signals to provides a plurality of different lamp operation frequency controlling signals, respectively, according to these low-voltage differential signals. The inverter controlling IC and the timing controller are electrically connected, so that after the inverter controlling IC receives these lamp operation frequency controlling signals, the inverter controlling IC undergoes a modulation process with the lamp operation frequency controlling signals and then transmits modulated signals to a post-stage outputting circuit.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for reducing water-like waveform noise in an LCD panel, comprising the following steps: (A) to provide a plurality of different lamp operation frequency controlling signals according to an Hsync signal, where these lamp operation frequency controlling signals are transmitted, respectively, to an inverter controlling IC; and (B) proceeding a modulation process with the lamp operation frequency signals by the inverter controlling IC after the inverter controlling IC received these lamp operation frequency controlling signals to transmits modulated signals to a post-stage outputting circuit.

Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide an LCD apparatus, comprising an LCD panel, a driving circuit, an image inverter, a timing controller, and an inverter controlling IC. The LCD panel includes a top substrate, a bottom substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the top substrate and the bottom substrate. The driving circuit has a source driving unit and a gate driving unit where the source driving unit and the gate driving unit are all electrically connected to the LCD panel. The image inverter is to provide a plurality of low-voltage differential signals. The timing controller is electrically connected with the image inverter and receives the low-voltage differential signals to provide a plurality of different lamp operation frequency controlling signals, respectively, according to the low-voltage differential signals. The inverter controlling IC is electrically connected with the timing controller, so that after the inverter controlling IC has received the lamp operation frequency controlling signals, the inverter controlling IC proceeds a modulation process with the lamp operation frequency controlling signals and then transmits modulated signals to a post-stage outputting circuit.

The low-voltage differential signals include a horizontal synchronize (Hsync) signal, where the timing controller produces the lamp operation frequency controlling signals complying with processing on the Hsync signal.

The lamp operation frequency controlling signals include a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of a first frequency (i.e., a first frequency value), a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of a second frequency (i.e., a second frequency value) and a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of a third frequency (i.e., a third frequency value). The timing controller, when during a first frame, provides the lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the first frequency; and provides the lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the second frequency when during a second frame; and provides the lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the third frequency when during a third frame.

The above-mentioned timing controller provides the lamp operation frequency controlling signals to the inverter controlling IC according to a frequency controlling period, where the frequency controlling period covers several cycles, and in each cycle, the timing controller provides the lamp operation frequency controlling signals each at a different sequence.

The timing controller is electrically connected with the inverter controlling IC through a plurality of lines, where each line transmits separately a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of different frequencies.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic view showing a panel module for a conventional LCD television;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> shows a sub-pixel of a conventional display panel.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref> is a perspective view of an LCD panel according to the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref> is a block diagram showing the circuit for an LCD apparatus according to the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a graph showing the relationship between a first frame and the timing controller according to the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a graph showing the relationship between a second frame and the timing controller according to the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a graph showing the relationship between a third frame and the timing controller according to the present invention; and

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a schematic view showing a plurality of operation cycles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref>, it shows a perspective view of an LCD panel according to the present invention. The LCD panel <b>34</b> comprises a top substrate <b>341</b>, a bottom substrate <b>342</b>, and a liquid crystal layer <b>343</b> interposed between the top substrate <b>341</b> and the bottom substrate <b>342</b>. Further referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref>, it shows the circuit for an LCD apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the LCD apparatus comprises a system circuit <b>31</b>, a driving circuit <b>32</b>, and a backlight module circuit <b>33</b>. The system circuit <b>31</b> further includes an image inverter <b>311</b> and a power governing IC <b>312</b>; the driving circuit <b>32</b> further comprises a timing controller (TCON) <b>321</b>, a DC-DC inverting unit <b>322</b>, a source driving unit <b>323</b> and a gate driving unit <b>324</b>; the backlight module circuit <b>33</b> further includes an inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>. In the present embodiment, the source driving unit <b>323</b> comprises a plurality of source driving ICs (not shown), where the source driving unit <b>323</b> is electrically connected with the LCD panel <b>34</b> via the source driving ICs, and the gate driving unit <b>324</b> comprises a plurality of gate driving ICs (not shown) through which the gate driving unit <b>324</b> is electrically connected with the LCD panel <b>34</b>.

The above-mentioned system circuit <b>31</b> is electrically connected with the driving circuit <b>32</b> and the backlight module circuit <b>33</b>, respectively, and the driving circuit <b>32</b> is also electrically connected with the backlight module circuit <b>33</b>. Besides, the image inverter <b>311</b> and the timing controller <b>321</b> are electrically connected, and the power governing IC <b>312</b> is electrically connected with the DC-DC inverting unit <b>322</b> and the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>. The DC-DC inverting unit <b>322</b> is electrically connected with the timing controller <b>321</b>, the source driving unit <b>323</b> and the gate driving unit <b>324</b>, respectively. The timing controller <b>321</b> is electrically connected with the source driving unit <b>323</b>, the gate driving unit <b>324</b> and the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>, respectively. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the timing controller <b>321</b> is electrically connected with the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> via three lines, so that the timing controller <b>321</b> can provide three logic designed identification signals to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>.

The above-mentioned power governing IC <b>312</b> is to provide a system power to the driving circuit <b>32</b> and the backlight module circuit <b>33</b>. The image inverter <b>311</b> is to output low-voltage differential signal (LVDS) data and low-voltage differential clock (LVDS CLK) to the timing controller <b>321</b>.

The timing controller <b>321</b>, after receiving the LVDS data and the LVDS CLK, undergoes a digital process on the LVDS CLK so as to output a plurality of reduced swing differential signals (RSDS) to the source driving unit <b>323</b>, and output a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) controlling signal to the gate driving unit <b>324</b>, wherein the reduced swing differential signals include reduced swing differential signal data and a swing differential signal timing clock.

Besides, the timing controller <b>321</b>, after receiving the LVDS CLK, proceeds a modulation process via detecting the Horizontal synchronize signal (Hsync) which is restored from the compressed LVDS CLK so as to provide a plurality of lamp operation frequency controlling signals to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>. The inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>, after receiving the lamp operation frequency controlling signals, proceeds a modulation process with the lamp operation frequency controlling signals, and then transmits or outputs the modulated signals to a post-stage outputting circuit.

According to the present embodiment, the lamp operation frequency controlling signals can include signals of a first frequency F_H(1, 0, 0), a second frequency F_T(0, 1, 0), and a third frequency F_L(0, 0, 1), so that by switching the controlling signals of above-mentioned three lamp operation frequencies, a more uniform variation in an allowed operation range can be achieved. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the timing controller <b>321</b> can provide lamp operation frequency controlling signals of more different frequencies. Taking an LCD panel having a resolution of WXGA+(1366×768) as an example, the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> allows an operation frequency range at about 44 KHz to 52 KHz. Accordingly, the first frequency F_Hcan be 52 KHz, the second frequency F_Tcan be 48 KHz, and the third frequency can be 44 KHz. Likewise, other lamp operation frequency controlling signals can be divided into lamp operation frequency controlling signals of various frequencies.

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> (reference is made to the description for <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>), a gate start pulse (GSP) refers to an initial scan signal that the timing controller <b>321</b> outputs to the gate driving unit <b>324</b>, and Hsync refers to a horizontal synchronize signal sent from the image inverter <b>311</b> to the timing controller <b>321</b>, wherein horizontal blanking (HB) refers to the time interval between the two frames output from the source driving ICs of the source driving unit <b>323</b>, and gate output enable (GOE) refers to output shielding signals output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the gate driving ICs of the gate driving unit <b>324</b>, so as to assure two adjacent scan lines from being actuated simultaneously. The inverter control frequency (“Inv_ConF”) refers to the operation frequency controlling signals output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>.

As shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, during the first frame, a frame rate is represented with V Hz (i.e. V number of frames scanned in every second); and the frequency of Hsync and GOE is H Hz (i.e. H number of gate lines scanned during every frame). The lamp operation frequency controlling signals (Inv_Conf) output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> are of the first frequency F_H(1, 0, 0), and the timing controller <b>321</b> produces I number of pulses during the first frame.

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> (reference is also made to the description for <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>), though similar to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, the lamp operation frequency controlling signals (Inv_Conf) output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> are changed to be of the second frequency F_T(0, 1, 0), and at this time, the timing controller <b>321</b> produces J number of pulses during the second frame.

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> (reference is also made to the description for <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>), though similar to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 4 and 5</figref>, the lamp operation frequency controlling signals (Inv_Conf) output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> are changed to be of the third frequency F_L(0, 0, 1), and at this time, the timing controller <b>321</b> produces K number of pulses during the third frame. From the above mention, as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 4 to 6</figref> for the three frames, it is understood that the timing controller <b>321</b> provides the invert control IC <b>331</b>, respectively, with the lamp operation controlling signals of various frequencies, so as to solve effectively the issue of frequency interference between the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> and the horizontal synchronize signal. As proposed in the present embodiment, the three frames are counted as a cycle, and therefore, the first frame, the second frame and the third frame, as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 4 to 6</figref>, relate to the first cycle.

In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, there are shown the lamp operation frequency controlling signals provided from the timing controller <b>321</b> during the cycles (reference is also made to the description for <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>). For example, in the first cycle, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides, during the first frame, a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the first frequency F_Hto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and provides, during the second frame, a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the second frequency F_Tto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and then provides, during the third frame, a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the third frequency F_Lto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>.

Similarly, also shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, in the second cycle (from the fourth to the sixth frame) the lamp operation frequency controlling signal output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> progresses, in sequence, to another order (i.e. carry to the next digit for a digital logic signal), so that during the fourth frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the second frequency F_Tto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and that during the fifth frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the third frequency F_Lto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and that during the sixth frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the first frequency F_Hto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>.

In the third cycle (from the seventh to the ninth frame) the lamp operation frequency controlling signals output from the timing controller <b>321</b> to the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> progresses, in sequence, to yet another order (i.e. carry to the next digit for a digital logic signal), so that during the seventh frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the third frequency F_Lto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and that during the eighth frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the first frequency F_Hto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>; and that during the ninth frame, the timing controller <b>321</b> provides a lamp operation frequency controlling signal of the second frequency F_Tto the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b>. According to the present embodiment, the timing controller <b>321</b> can form a frequency controlling period with the above-mentioned three cycles, so that the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> can be maintained at a non-constant value and can be varied periodically, in sequence, within a given range of frequency and time, and that a stable output of constant current can be maintained for the CCFL.

According to the present embodiment, of course, every cycle can include more frames (e.g. four frames), and every frequency controlling period can include more cycles (e.g. four cycles).

As mentioned above, when the frame rate is V Hz, the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> will be controlled, in sequence according to a rate of V/9, by the first frequency F_H, the second frequency F_Tand the third frequency T_L(High, Typical and Low) output from the timing controller <b>321</b>. Further, the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> will be varied uniformly, once for three frames; while for every nine frames the cycle repeats again. Consequently, the situation that the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC <b>331</b> can interfere with the Hsync signal is greatly reduced.

Given the above, it is understood that in the present invention, the timing controller detects the horizontal synchronize signal which is restored from compressed LVDS, and then the timing controller modulates and outputs lamp operation controlling signals of various frequencies to the inverter controlling IC, so as to vary the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC adopted in an LCD panel. In addition, by attaching resistance and capacitance on signal transmission lines, the resistive-capacitive (RC) feedback value of backlight module circuits can be adjusted, so that the lamp operation frequency of the inverter controlling IC can be a non-constant value and can be varied periodically, in sequence, within a given range of frequency and time, and that a stable output of constant current can be maintained for the CCFL, so that the water-like waveform noise resulted from an inverter of the LCD panel can thus be reduced.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.